Drain-tile-ditch level



LYMAN r. roN'rIoUs,

PATENT Fries..

on ADAIR, ILLINOIS.

DRAIN-TILE-DITCH LEVEL.

SPEIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,133, dated July 10,1853.

Application filed April 520, 11583. (No model.)

To all wle/m it may concern:

f-Be it known that I, LYMAN F. PoNTioUs, of Adair, in the county ofMcDonough and Sktate of Illinois, have invented anew and ImprovedDrain-Tile-Ditch Level, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention consists of a device by which to take the inclination ofthe ground to be drained and set aspirit-level to showsr the saidinclination on the stock to which the level is attached, the said stockbeing provided with legs Whereon to set it for ascertaining theinclination, which legs are also adapted for being so adjusted to thestock that they serve for a handle by which the stock can be conveniently laid on the bottom of the ditch to gage the inclination by aperson standing on the bank, all as hereinafter fully described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of the device in the position in which itis used to ascertain the inclination of the ground to be drained, for aguide by which to gage the inclination of the bottom of the tile-ditch.It also represents a profile of the ground to be drained. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the device in the position for gaging the bottom ofthe ditch, with a part in section; and Fig. 3 is aplan view of thedevice as represented in Fig. 2, Without the leg or handle attachment.

To a Wood stock, a, of similar construction as is commonly used :for acarpenters -or masons spiritdevel, but preferably of larger or longerdimensions, I arrange a bubble-vial, b,

in a recess, c, under a top plate, d, ona pivot, e, at one end, so thatit may swing downward from the plate d at the other end, Where it isprovided with a binding-screw,f, projecting out through a slot, g, inthe side of the stock, suitably for fastening the vial b at any desiredpoint, the said bubble-vial being level with the stock when thek freeend is shifted up to and fastened against the top plate, d.k Thisbubble-vial is preferably located about midway between one end and themiddle of the stock, and at the middle of said stock I have an eyebolt,h., extending through the stock, and a metal Washer, c',Withabinding-nut, j, on the other side, by Which to secure the stock toa supporting-rod, 7a, on which the stock may be i shifted up and downthe Whole length of the rod, or nearly so, and the stock may also beturned on the rod to level the stock or incline it either Way from thelevel. In order to bind the rods against the washers, the eyebolts havetheir eyes drawn partially through the Washers, as shown in Fig. 3 ofthedrawings. This supporting rod or leg 7: has a brace, Z, of similarcharacter, jointed to itat m, near the upper end, for steadying thestockwhen set up on rod 7c for use, both 'the rod and the brace being pointedto set in the ground. The top of the supporting-rod k is provided withaliandle, o, `for a convenient means of handling the device when usedfor gaging the bottom of the ditch.

Near the end opposite to Where the bubblevial is mounted the stock isprovided with another eyebolt, p, having a binding-nut, q, and a washer,s, to connect thebrace 7, the same as support k is connected when thedevice is used for gaging the ditch. In the iirst place, to obtain theinclination of the ground t0 be drained, I set up the level on the rod kand brace Z, as in Fig. I, where the lower end vof the drain is to be,then set up a stake, t, at the upper end, or thereabout, the stake beingof the same height as the height of the level on the rod 7c, and set thestock of the level to the inclination of the sight-line from the stockto the top of the stake. Then I adjust the bubble-vial by shifting itsfore end down until the bubble shows level, and fasten it in thatposition. Then I attach the supporting-rod and brace, at their lowerends, to the stock by the eyebolts 1L and p, for a handle, as in Fig. 2,by which to lower the level into'the ditch from the bank Whenever it maybe required to gage the bottom by the level, which Will have the properinclination When the bubble shows level, said bubble vial being inclinedto the stock, as above stated.

The special merit of this invention is that the device is an ordinarylevel when the bubblevial is set up against t-he top plate, while by themanner of its adj ustability on the supporting-bar and of thebubble-vial it is a grading-level, and by the contrivance for using itin the ditch it is a convenient and practical gage for grading theditch.

IOO

My improved level is also useful for tiling or ditching level land, asfollows: An outlet for a drain on level land can frequently be had, andin such cases a main tile can be laid down five or six feet deep alongone side of the field, if an outlet is found into some slough .or gully5 then tile can be laid from this main tile out into the eld at suitabledistances apart, all connected with the main tile, which, being downdeep, would give sufficient fall to the other tiles for longdistances-say from forty to eighty rods or more. To use my level forthis purpose all that is needed is to make the stake t longer-say, ifthe main tile is six feet deep, andthe branch tile connected With it andto run out across the field, say, forty rods or more, is to end Within,say, a foot of the top of the ground, all that is necessary is to addfive feet to length of stake t-that is, make it ve feet higher than thedistance from the top of the level-stock to the ground; then take sightat the top of stake and set the level, as before.

When the rods are taken out of the eyes and laid down with thelevelstock and tied to it, the level is then convenient to sbip or carryabout.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. The stock a, having the adjustable bubble-vial b,and adjusting supporting-eyebolt h, and Washer z', in combination withthe supporting-rod k and brace Z, substantially as' described.

2. The stock a, having the adjustable bubble-vial I), and adjustingsupporting-eyebolts h p, and Washers t' s, in combination with thesupporting-rod k and brace Z, substantially as described.

3. The stock a, having the adjustable bubble-vial 1),-and adjustingsupporting devices h p and z' s, in combination with the supporting rodkbrace Z, and handle o, substantially as 4o Witnesses:

WM. L. CLAYTON, S. LEIGHTY.

